AstroGypsies

I could have stayed at City Of Rocks and explored for a lot longer than we did, but it was a bit of a scouting trip, we’ll be back. The area is so full of history but we had reservations in Tucson. Our go to place when we can get in (it is fully booked for February and March) is the Desert Trails RV park. The sites are quirky, the park close to miles of walking and biking paths and the overall vibe friendly, not quite so old as some spots, they call themselves an over”40″ park;)

It sits where an old amusement park used to be, complete with slides;) Quirky but fun, and the people who run it are very kind. The sites out at the edges provide the best views for wildlife. Bunnies and quails frolic, as well as the occasional coyote in broad daylight. The laundry and gym are wonderful and hey, food trucks come in twice a week! The minuses are there is a gun/skeet range close by and on the weekends the boom of gunfire in the distance can be a drag:(

As we were pulling into the RV park arriving from New Mexico the Progressive insurance car was following us in:) We have dealt with Brett before and has always been a very kind and fair to deal with, unlike some people’s insurance woe tales. He hopped up on the roof and started taking notes of the damages and was wrapped up in no time flat. He saw damage I didn’t! We’d done some homework on where we might want to take Myrtle for repairs but with the unsettled weather we will have to wait for February and a sunny week as they are going to replace the entire TPO roof which had several tears from a rogue oak going into Del Rio, Texas on a suburban street:( In the meantime, a caulking gun has helped seal the roof tears as well as some duct tape on the smashed skylights and roof vents:) Over all the repairs will take a week we were told so we have also started scouting for cat friendly places to take the kids;)

Other area bonuses-well the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum is down the road:) you can not go wrong with a visit to this beautiful living museum. Their Raptor Free flight over the winter is such a beautiful sight! Stay for both the 10am and 2pm flights as the birds are different. Skip the restaurants and cafes though…not very good from our experience unless mediocre Mexican tacos, weird taco salad bowls (yuc), pita bread pizza and sad soggy burgers are your go to foods;)

Best time of year-late Spring when everything is blooming and the hummingbirds are migrating but it is a treat anytime of year:) We got to watch a beautiful barn owl as well as the stunning Gray Hawks and finally the Harris Hawk family-giving polyandry a good name;)

The peregrine falcon was so fast I didn’t even get a shot off…too slow;) The rest of these beautiful birds co-operated with perfect spots from where I was standing to both watch and photograph them:) Ended the visit with a trip to the Hummingbird aviary after a walk through cat canyon:)

The Broad Billed and Rufous were very busy but I didn’t see a Costas or Anna’s, maybe later in the year. A beautiful Queen Butterfly put on quite a show in the pollinators garden.

You didn’t have to go to the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum to see birds. A pair of Gila Woodpeckers drove the cats nuts as they sat on the wooden fence behind the trailer. Cactus Wrens and Curve Billed Thrashers scurried about in the cholla cactus. Rocket learned about prickly stuff on his walks!

I put our feeders out and we had all kinds of visitors over the week. An Anna’s hummingbirds immediately took over ownership of the feeder stuck to the window, and another to one hanging off the ladder.

Our Thanksgiving surprise came in the form of a messenger message from fellow DRV owners Debby and Garth whom we met in New Mexico at a Harvest Hosts Winery, this same time last year! A pair of lovely fellow Canadians! She saw our Astrogypies wifi when they stopped and hooked up to the Desert Trails internet and said! “HEY! We know them!” Three trailers down!! We enjoyed several wonderful conversations and a few bottles of wine, as well as a fabulous Thanksgiving Potluck meal with many of our fellow RV and trailer neighbours! What a treat to catch up and hear their adventures and mishaps and new places to go! Look forward to seeing them in Tombstone on our way back where they are spending the Winter!

I sometimes have to remember to take more pictures of the trailer and where we are at, instead I wander off in search of birds, plants, bugs and sunsets, not a bad thing but I often think, wow, I should have taken a picture of where the trailer is, and around the different parks so mental note to self…vary the photography;) Stay tuned as we head further South, survive the cocoon zombies, minus the alien fountain, in Yuma and the Thanksgiving weekend traffic returning to San Diego! Saludos amigos!

Our neighbours were on their roof navigating around solar panels with his tripod photographing the sunset, I was not quite that ambitious;) Ha!